Bruins Beat: Chiarelli uses Lewis as learning experience

BOSTON In his short tenure as Bruins general manager, Peter Chiarelli hasn't always made the right moves.

Douglas Flynn/Daily News staff

In his short tenure as Bruins general manager, Peter Chiarelli hasn't always made the right moves.

But while the team limped to another last-place finish in Chiarelli's first season in charge, the Bruins boss does deserve some credit for recognizing his mistakes and working to correct them.

The clearest example of that came early this summer when he fired coach Dave Lewis just one year into a four-year contract, and replaced him with Claude Julien.

This week, as the Bruins prepared for the start of a new season opening Friday in Dallas, Chiarelli discussed the breakdown in communication between Lewis and himself and what he had learned from the experience.

"There's a fine line between keeping an eye on things and hoping that what's happening is what you want, and putting the thumb down," said Chiarelli. "I probably should have put the thumb down more last year."

All summer, Chiarelli has stressed building a team that will be "harder to play against," a team with grit and an aggressive mentality. Chiarelli also stated it wasn't a change in philosophy, even though many teams are copying Anaheim's physical approach this season after the Ducks battled their way to the Stanley Cup last year.

Instead, it's more a matter of making sure what he wants is actually implemented. Despite the failure of Lewis to follow through on his wishes, Chiarelli isn't too concerned about that with Julien now in charge.

"In having a lot of discussions with Claude, we're on the same page in what we want," said Chiarelli. "I talk about a better defensive-zone system, I talk about a fore-check, I talk about being harder to play against, I talk about finishing checks, and that's what Claude is about."

That wasn't the case with Lewis, and the disconnect wasn't just between Chiarelli and Lewis, but also between Lewis and his assistants, Marc Habscheid and Doug Houda.

"In fairness to Louie and his staff, I don't think there was the chemistry there that was needed," said Chiarelli. "Louie's a good coach and I expect he'll have some success in LA.

"Maybe Habbie was more suited to be a head coach," added Chiarelli, "and when that happens there tends to be a bit of aloofness. You definitely have to be aware of that."

Habscheid was also dismissed, while Houda was retained by Julien, who also brought in Craig Ramsay and Geoff Ward. Chiarelli is confident that this time he has the right mix behind the bench. And unlike last year, this year's staff will have its duties clearly delineated.

"They're all good friends, but I'm talking about when he (Lewis) delegated (responsibilities)," said Chiarelli of last year's staff. "With Claude, he's very (structured). I see the criteria he has for these guys and their duties. He's anal about this stuff, and that's a good thing. You can get some looseness if you're not on top of that, and if that happens, it creeps into the play of the players."

Chiarelli saw that happen down the stretch last year, as Boston managed just one win in its final 12 games.

"The last 10-11 games, the bottom really fell out and that shouldn't have happened," said Chiarelli. "Even though we didn't make the playoffs, there should be guys vying for spots next year."

This year, there are plenty of players battling for the final spots on Julien's opening night roster. Going into today's final exhibition tuneup against the Islanders at the Garden (WBZ AM-1030, 4 p.m.), the Bruins have 27 players left in camp.

That will have to be trimmed to 23 or less by Friday. There's also still a possibility of bringing in additional help through free agency, trade or a waiver pickup, but right now Chiarelli and Julien are focusing on evaluating what they already have.

"I never rule it out, but I do want to see how these 'D' and these forwards fit in Claude's system," said Chiarelli when asked about any potential late acquisitions. "It takes some time to get it into their heads. And there are still some remnants from the past staff. Whether that is good or bad, that has to be flushed out a bit."

The changes in system from Lewis to Julien are dramatic; Chiarelli hopes the results will be dramatically different as well. But he knows it will also take time, though the process should speed up a bit now that the camp roster is down to a manageable size.

"For us putting in a system, it's hard to do when you've got two groups still," said Chiarelli. "The next few days or whatever the amount is before the season starts is real important to get the systems in place and to get the pairs and the lines in place. ... And there has been a development. There's been progress each day."

(Douglas Flynn covers the Bruins for the Daily News. He can be reached at 508-626-4405 or dflynn@cnc.com.)

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